Growing up Stark
by Teenageconlover
Summary: A one night stand with an old friend from MIT leaves Tony Stark with a daughter. See how 8yr old Alex fits in the story starting from the beginning in Ironman 1.
1. Background Info

**Alex Stark** (lex, lexi)

**Birthday: **April 4th2002

**Parents: **Tony Stark

Jordan Wright

**Back Story:** Jordan Wright was a nuclear physicists with biochemical interests. Tony met Jordan at MIT they were close friends but of course Tony couldn't commit, they moved on but reconnected at a 10 year celebration of Tony being CEO of SI. That one night stand led Jordan to have Alex. Tony still being in his part phase, gave child support and would visit Alex on occasion but not much of a father figure. Then in 2008 Jordan was diagnosed with cancer and died, leaving Alex to go live with Tony. Still not capable of stepping up he hired the best nanny and care for Alex when she wasn't in a fancy private boarding school. Alex developed strong relationships with Pepper and Happy as they are who she typically dealt with. She is especially strong in math and sciences, jumping grade levels beyond her peers. She is sassy, independent, and going through a rough time after just losing her mom and being shipped off to a snooty boarding school.


	2. Chapter 1

Pepper hangs up her phone as she walks into Tony's lab after having just escorted his trashy reporter late night companion out of the house. "You are supposed to be halfway around the world right now."

"How'd she take it?" Tony questions not even looking up from the engine of the car he's tinkering with.

"Like a champ" Pepper answers with a sigh.

"Why are you trying to hustle me out of here"

"Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and half ago."

"That's funny, I thought with it being my plane and all, that it would just wait for me to get there"

"Tony, I need to speak with you about a couple of things before I get you out of the door" Pepper presses as she organized the folder of notes in her hand.

"Doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose of having your own place if it departs before you arrive?

"Larry called. He's got another buyer for the Jackson Pollock in the wings. Do you want it yes or no?"

Finally turning from his car and sitting on its tire, Tony looks to face her and asks "Is it a good representation of his spring period?"

"Umm No. The Springs was actually the neighborhood in East Hampton where he lived and worked, not "spring" like the season"

"So?" Tony interjects before she even finished her sentence.

"I think it's a fair example, I think it's extremely overpriced" She explains

"I need it. Buy it. Store it."

Pepper rolls her eyes to the expected Tony Stark response "Okay the MIT commencement speech…"

"Is in June. Please don't harangue me about stuff that way, way, down…"

"They're haranguing me so I'm going to say yes." Pepper makes a note of.

"Deflect it and absorbs it. Don't transmit it back to me" Tony declares now talking over her. After a pause of silence as Pepper flips through her file he questions "Is that it?"

"No, Alex's school called"

"What about it, I told you go ahead and give them the grant or whatever they asked for"

"No it's not about that, It's.. well" Pepper stutters as she follows him through the lab to grab an espresso and out into the hallway.

'Spit it out"

"There was some sort of incident and she's been kicked out?"

"Again?... Well this is Malibu just send her to one of the other ones"

"She's developed a reputation and no one will take her I can look into something out of state but I will need time to get it together so Happy brought her here for the meantime…. I thought you could talk to her " Pepper informs has they've reached the top of the stairs to the living room. Where Alex is sitting on the couch looking at a tablet.

"What do you mean no one will take her….. She's here as in here, here. Tony says simultaneously looking at Pepper not yet noticing Alex.

Alex overhears the conversation as they walk into the room . Catching Tony's attention without looking up from her tablet she calls out "Good to know I'm not welcome home"

"I didn't say that, Pepper did I say that?" Tony calls back with a quick turn walking toward her.

"The sheer panic at the mention of my presence says enough" Alex snaps back now looking up at him.

"I think I have the right to be a shocked when I hear my 8 year old daughter has been kicked out of yet another very expensive privet school that I just gave another donation to."

"Oh I'm sorry I thought you _liked _blowing your money " Alex claims with a sarcastic pout in his direction this makes him scoff and raise his eyebrows impressed with the accuracy of her comeback. Alex just rolls her eyes as she get up to walk around him to pick up her duffle bag, "But don't worry I'm sure I won't be here in your way for long. … Am I in the same room Pepper?"

"Yes sweetie, right down the hall 3rddoor on the left, Mrs. Johnson should be here in an hour to stay with you" Pepper answers send the girl on her way.

"Great' Alex mumbles just loud enough for them to hear before she leaves the room. Tony reaches out for the tablet she left of the couch and looks at what she had left on the screen. It seemed to some research brief on Stem cells and it looked to have her notes written in the margins with some updated equations.

"I need you to sign this before you get on the plane" Pepper tries to refocus his attention to the folder she holds in front of him.

"There you go again trying to get rid of me? What, you got plans?"

"As a matter of fact I do"

"I don't like it when you have plans" Tony replies now giving her his full attention, looking affectionately into her eyes

"I'm allowed to have plans on my birthday" She explains with a soft smile.

"It's your birthday"

"Yes"

"I knew that… Already"

"Yeah. Isn't that strange? It's the same day as last year" She chuckles sarcastically

"Get yourself something nice from me."

"I already did."

"And?"

"Oh it's very nice"

"yeah?"

"Very tasteful, Thank you Mr. Stark" Pepper thanks him with a warm smile

"You're welcome, Miss Potts." Tony replies flirtatiously, taking one last look into her eyes before handing her his espresso cup and walking past her out the door now ready for his flight to Afghanistan "Okay"

* * *

The plane doors open to show Rhodey helping Tony Stand up from a wheelchair walking down towards Pepper, Alex and Happy waiting to greet him. He looks down to Alex first noticing she'd been crying.

"Your eyes are red… a few tears for your long-lost dad?"

"Yeah" Alex grins with a sniffle wiping her nose squinting up at him " I don't like being an orphan… Peppers got the red hair and Obadiah is not exactly daddy Warbucks "

"Fair enough" He grins as he leans down and hugs her with his one good arm. "It's okay I'm back"

"Don't die again.. okay" She pleas half-jokingly with another sniffle hugging him back wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I promise, that was a one time thing… I'm not leaving you again" He tells her with one more squeeze and a kiss on the cheek before letting go, shifting to just holding her hand now looking to Pepper. "Your eyes look a little teary too, miss your boss?"

"Tears of Joy" She grins jokingly "I hate job hunting"

"Yeah?, Vacations over." Tony responses getting his game face on now looking to Happy as he walks to get into the car, Alex first to the middle seat between him and Pepper.

"Where to sir?" Happy questions from the drivers seat.

"Take us to the hospital, Please Happy." Pepper replies

"No"

"No? Tony you have to go to the hospital, the Dr. has to check you out?"

"I don't have to do anything. I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want 3 American cheeseburgers" He pauses and looks down to Alex beside him "Do you want a cheeseburger"

"Yeah" She shrugs

"Okay so 4 cheeseburgers and the other thing is…" Tony continues looking desirably at Pepper

"That's enough of that" Pepper interjects

"is not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now."

"Call for a press conference?"

"yeah"

"What on earth for?" Pepper questions without getting an answer.

"Hogan, drive. Cheeseburgers first."

"Extra pickles" Alex quickly adds

"Extra Pickles Hogan" Tony echoes as they start to drive off.


End file.
